Charmed
by Luminous Circus
Summary: "Is my magic wearing off? I shouldn't have to ask twice!"   Howl knows he is perfectly charming - but OC, Saffy, knows how dangerous this trait could be. Howl x OC oneshot.


This is a Howl x OC fic that takes place some time before the events in the book/film (or, indeed instead of them). I first published this some time in 2009 but I've made some dramatic changes since then ~ Well then . . .

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><p>It was a sunny morning in Porthaven but dark foreboding clouds clung to the horizon – the sign of a storm at sea. Noticing them as she gaze through the kitchen window, Marnie Wilson called out worriedly to her daughter: "Saf? Saffy?"<p>

Saffy reluctantly set down her book and hurried downstairs to see why her mother was calling. She knew there were chores to be done and her mother was already heating the irons.  
>"What is it?" she asked.<br>"I think you'd better go and see Wizard Jenkins. I don't want Henry going off fishing without a good strong spell today. Don't you come back until you've given it to him."  
>She handed her a few coins, two silver, three bronze and returned to the fire.<p>

Saffy was three years older than her brother, Henry. Since their father suddenly fell ill, he had temporarily taken over the family's small fishing business. He was still an apprentice and wouldn't take over until he was eighteen – another year – but now the family was depending on him. Whilst he insisted to his mother that he could handle the boat and that the seas were perfectly safe, even he knew how dangerous it could be and wouldn't refuse any magical guidance.

Aside from worrying about her brother, Saffy was glad to be out of the house. She could walk through the harbour on the way back from the Wizard's house and spy on the young sailors there, so she was glad she'd bothered to comb her thick chestnut hair that morning. Her parents, by this point, were a little afraid that they hadn't been able to marry her off - especially when the agreement they'd had with the tailor regarding his son hadn't worked out. Saffy huffed as she thought about him. She'd never met someone so pompous and stuck up! If he had been a prince or a duke, maybe she could have endured it for her family's sake, but his father wasn't even a particularly fine tailor! So, instead, she spied on sailors who wouldn't need to criticise or command her, just to hold her and touch the softness of her skin. It was fairly simple to charm a sailor - she was just waiting to find the right one. To charm a wealthy man, however much her parents wished it, she realised she needed money: money to buy expensive clothes and fine champagne and upper class elegance. She scowled. She'd never buy into something like that.

She continued down the cobbled street to the yellow brick building which was the Wizard's house and hoped that her knock would be answered quickly. Henry would leave whether he had the spell or not and would probably be setting off any minute. Just as she was beginning to worry, the Wizard's apprentice answered the door, greeting her politely and gesturing for her to follow him inside.  
>"How may I help you?" he asked.<br>"I'd like to buy a spell to guide my brother's boat away from storms," she explained. "It's looking dangerous out there today."  
>The small boy vaguely looked out of the window and nodded before walking over to the cluttered table. She heard him rummaging. Then it was silent for a while as he looked in a cabinet of jars and then stared for a long time at a shelf of different coloured bottles.<br>"We appear to have run out of this particular spell," he finally announced. It seemed as though his extensive searching had been only to delay this moment.  
>Saffy's heart sank. "Can't you do something?" asked, sounding frantic.<br>"Let me get my master!" the short figure panicked and ran up the stairs.

Alone in the room, Saffy began to explore. It was obvious that the wizard wasn't home much, and it was no wonder no-one had ever caught sight of him. He was the biggest mystery of Porthaven. In fact, he may have been the only mystery. Nobody know who he was, how long he'd lived in the yellow house or anything about him at all. She couldn't help but feel a little excited that he was home now (assuming his apprentice was telling the truth) and there was a small chance that she might even see him. While she waited, she gazed over the assortment of objects on the table and a fat book caught her attention. As she reached out to turn the page, a voice quickly chided her. "  
>"Ah, ah, no peeking."<br>Her hand immediately retreated and she looked around, trying to spot who has spoken. She cocked her head in confusion when she noticed she was completely alone. As she warily turned her attention back to the book, she noticed that it was an old script and most of the words were unfamiliar to her. Notes were scrawled over the page in fine pencil but even though she could read them, she could understand just as little.  
>"I told you, no peeking!" the voice said, a little more vehemently this time.<br>"I can't understand it anyway!" she snapped back with a frown, addressing this person who wasn't there and slammed the book shut.

"_Someone's _not in a good mood this morning," a second voice commented from behind her. She spun around, hoping that it wasn't another invisible thing – and froze. There, on the staircase, stood the man who _must_ have been the Wizard! Once she had got over the initial shock of his silky blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, she frowned, remembering that he had just insulted her.  
>"Not you, of course," he corrected himself with a dazzling smile. "I'm talking about Calcifer."<br>"Calcifer?"  
>"Yes!" the first voice spoke again.<br>She looked around cluelessly. The blonde man smiled and strode down the last few steps towards her. She tensed as he gently touched her face, guiding her to turn towards the fireplace where a pair of eyes looked out at her.  
>"A fire demon?" she gasped. "I've only ever seen one in a book!"<br>"Yeah, well, this isn't a free exhibition. And yeah, Howl! She was nosing through your books too. I caught her!" the fire crackled angrily.  
>"What's the harm? She obviously likes a good read, don't you, miss...?"<br>"Wilson," she replied. "Are you Howl?"  
>"Yes I am."<br>"Then _where_ is Jenkins, because I really do need to see him," she said, urgency returning to her voice. This question, however, was only met by a mischievous chuckle from Howl and hysterical laughter from the fireplace  
>"What's so funny?"<br>Recovering from his laughter, the blonde man cleared his throat. "I am the Great Wizard Jenkins. How may I assist you this morning?" he asked with a smile and a slight bow, raising his eyes to meet hers.  
>She tried not to hesitate when she answered and explained to him what she had come for. He seemed to ponder for a moment. "Follow me."<br>"Oh – but! I really need it now!"  
>"And you shall have it," he replied as they stepped through the front door. "Now, I don't know where I'm going, so I hope you can show us the way."<br>"To the boat, you mean? That's where wer're going?"  
>"I don't usually do emergency call-outs," he sighed, tossing his hair dramatically.<p>

Nearly everyone they passed stared. His rich clothes stood out and no one in the whole town was so well groomed. His shirt billowed like a sail in the wind and she noticed the fragrance of hyacinths seemed to be chasing him. Even the way he walked was unnaturally graceful – even though she was almost running, he matched her pace easily with his long strides.  
>"Hopefully he hasn't already left!" she exclaimed between gasps. "There!" She pointed to her brother, who was untying the mooring ropes which secured the boat to the side.<br>"Just in time!"

Howl leapt aboard, much to the boy's confusion. Noticing his sister, he caught her eye.  
>"This is the Wizard," she said quietly, afraid that if she spoke too loudly she'd draw even more attention to him. "Mother insisted that you have a spell today."<br>"Just like our mother to worry over nothing," Henry laughed.  
>"At least you'll definitely be safe this way."<br>"You're all set," Howl said, springing up to stand beside Saffy.  
>"What about payment?" Henry asked.<br>"Don't worry, I've already settled that with your sister," he winked and tossed a silver coin in the air, catching it in one hand.  
>Henry shouted his thanks as he swiftly sailed away, oblivious to the confused look his sister shot at the Wizard.<p>

"I've arranged nothing with you. It's wrong to take something for nothing and I didn't give you that coin!"  
>"No, but we <em>can<em> arrange something, can't we?" he whispered, his eyes sparkling suggestively. "Though, I might raise my price if you pay more attention to my books than to me..." he added. Her breath juddered as he smiled. This man was clearly dangerous! There was no way any sane girl would take up such a vague offer with such a mysterious man! He noticed the frown sinking onto her features.  
>"Goodness, is my magic wearing off? I shouldn't have to ask twice!"<br>Despite the light hearted tone that indicated he was joking, she couldn't help but wonder if it held some truth.

She was suddenly jolted from her thoughts by someone calling her name. She turned around to see her mother approaching.  
>"Saf, I wondered where you'd got to!"<br>"Mother, I-"  
>"I'm very sorry for delaying your daughter, Mrs Wilson," Howl took unnecessary responsibility, shooting the woman a charming smile, immediately softening her.<br>"Oh, that's fine, I mean, um," she seemed to be at a loss for words.  
>"<em>Mother<em>," Saffy scolded her.  
>"And who is this?" she asked, raising her eyebrows."<br>Howl nodded his head towards the girl, implying that he needed an introduction."  
>"This is the <em>wizard<em>," she said, bluntly, as he shared a knowing glance with her mother.  
>"Alright then. You'd better be home by sunset then, Saffy," she instructed before hurrying away, leaving her daughter with a dumbfounded look as Howl led her back to the yellow brick house.<p>

"I am not so easily swayed as some, Mister Jenkins," she said, accompanied with a dark stare, still not believing that her mother had given into him so easily.  
>"Shouldn't we be on first name terms by now, Saffy?" he teased as he held open the door.<br>"_Saphire_," she snapped. She continued to glare as she continued, "You will not charm me as easily as my mother. Or a boat."  
>"No. But I was thinking that as payment, you at least owe me a chance," he murmured, closing the space between them. As she looked down, avoiding his gaze, she noticed a blue pendant hanging from his neck like a crystallized teardrop and studied it curiously. She reached out to touch it with her fingertips. She wondered if it would easily smash... A gentle touch beneath her chin guided her to look towards the sky where heavy raindrops were beginning to fall. Wordlessly, she stepped inside.<p>

The End

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><p>I really wanted to portray Howl's fragility as well has his obvious arrogance...<br>Anyway, please review !


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